Alleged Victim Testifies at Vanderbilt Trial

NASHVILLE (CN) – Jurors heard testimony from the alleged rape victim in the trial of two former Vanderbilt University football players, who said she felt disoriented the morning after the incident. The young woman took the witness stand at 9 a.m. Thursday, and testified for the next two hours. She spoke about how she felt sick and in pain the morning after the alleged rape. “I felt very out of it. I didn’t feel like myself,” she said of her physical condition the next morning. “I felt very confused. I felt sick, as in nauseous. I started to develop a really bad headache and I also was in pain in certain parts of my body.” She said her left shoulder, left wrist and right knee hurt the most. The trial for Brandon Vandenburg and Corey Batey, two former Vanderbilt Commodores football players, began last week with opening statements. Each is charged with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery stemming from the June 23, 2013 incident. Vandenburg’s accuser said he told her that he had to take care of her the night before. “He told me that I had gotten sick in his room and he had to clean it up,” she said, adding that Vandenburg used the word “horrible” to describe cleaning up her vomit. She said she felt embarrassed. The alleged victim described Vandenburg’s demeanor the morning after the incident as “extremely kind, nicer than usual.” She testified that she had consensual, unprotected sex with Vandenburg that day. She also testified that Vandenburg sent her a text message a few days after the alleged rape, which said, “I didn’t do anything. I feel like I’m getting blamed for stuff that didn’t even happen. I just want to cry.” She says she replied with a message that read, “I don’t want anyone to get in trouble because of me.” Another message from her to Vandenburg stated, “I’ll do everything I can to clear your name,” according to her testimony. The prosecution rested its case Thursday afternoon. A third man accused in the alleged rape, Jaborian “Tip” McKenzie, testified for the state Tuesday.